Why do you do what you do? What is your passion? What is your reason?After reading a book about Florence Nightingale in second grade, my dream of being a nurse was born. Helping people during their most difficult times sounded like a profession that would be an honor. My grandmother was a widow and dedicated her life to the work of nursing. She believed it was the highest calling, by God, on one’s life. She lived out the epitome of The Nightengale pledge well into her 80s and forever left a legacy in my heart. Within my nursing career, I have served very different populations and areas of nursing. From trauma and emergency, women's services, education, and infusion nursing, I have done with my entire heart and have learned to lead with passion, grit, determination, and love.The patients and families I see now are worried, very sick, and unsure of the days ahead. I not only offer compassion and service, but I also coordinate care from home health/hospice services to pharmaceutical infusions as they discharge from the hospital. Within this work, I can utilize my professional skills, including critical thinking and questioning practices not rooted in scientifically driven clinical data. I have a love for others and a love for life that I believe allows people to feel my sincerity. I have seen the worst life can bring at times, and I can fully find joy in the sweetest moments life has to offer.My strong desire is to advocate for people who cannot advocate for themselves and care for and love people to the best of my ability. I believe in the nursing profession, and the best clinical care one can offer. My educational aspiration would be to obtain my Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and dual Master's in Family Nurse Practitioner and Acute Care. My career aspirations include changing the face of healthcare as it pertains to our nurses, hospital staff, and mental health. I want to participate in a change throughout our healthcare system to help our nurses, prevent burnout and compassion fatigue, and grow compassion satisfaction and resiliency.I hope that I am still doing this into my 80th decade of life. What a legacy that would leave our nursing profession if we could all give our life to work as long as we could!